Tithing.com

jesus

Can The Church Be Supported Without Tithes?

by 1 Comment

As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice. So let’s evaluate another argument used to promote tithing:

Argument:  How can the Church be supported without tithing?

Jesus Supported His Ministry Without Tithes

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Luke 8:1-3

Jesus supported his ministry of the freewill offerings of others as mentioned here in Luke 8. If Jesus’ ministry can be supported without tithes, why couldn’t we expect the same thing? Many emphasize the example of priesthood and Levitical system in Old Testament times, but de-emphasize the example of Jesus’ ministry. Why would we value the Levitical system over Jesus’ example?

In other passages, this method of ministry funding is further validated. Matthew 10:7-10 states, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.” (NIV)

If Jesus had faith that his ministry and the ministry of his followers could be funded without tithing, why would we expect that the Church would fail under the same model? Jesus wouldn’t tell his disciples to follow him and live by the gospel if he thought it would fail. Unfortunately, we’ve become so addicted to the security blank that mandated funding offers us that we fail to see the forest from the trees.

The Church Already Operates Without Tithing

According to Non-Profit Source, here are some statistics about giving

  • Only 5% tithe, and 80% of Americans only give 2% of their income
  • Christians are giving at 2.5% of income
  • Only 3-5% of Americans who give to their local church do so through regular tithing
  • Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation

Some may be thinking about how much more of an impact we could have if everyone just tithed. That’s a fair point, but the whole premise of the argument is how could the Church operate without the tithe. It can, because it is already operating without the tithe. It’s not like if tithing stopped existing the Church would dissolve because tithing is hardly practiced in the first place.

So what’s the point of convincing people that tithing is not required if no one’s doing it? Even though people aren’t following through with tithing, the ones with the voice on stage still emphasize it. The reason why people even worry about how the Church can operate is a matter of being educated or a matter of being rational about the actual reality.

Only 1% Went To Ministers Serving at the Temple

“To bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse” Nehemiah 10:37-38.

The Levites were divided into two factions. The priestly faction (descendants of Aaron) served at the temple, while the non-priestly faction served within the city gates. The priests rotated throughout the year and individually served 2-weeks in the Temple. When their two-week term finished, they served alongside Levites for the remainder of the year.

The entire Levitical tribe received 10% (a tithe) of Israel’s food (more on food later). The tithe was divided into two parts. First, to support the service at the temple, the priests received 10% of the tithe while the Levites (not serving at God’s house) received 90% of the tithe given. There is no question we need to be more generous Christians, but the fact was God’s house (the temple) was supported by 1% of Israel’s increase of food products, then is it fair to ask if the Church can be supported by 2-3%?

Stewardship is a two-way street. Should Christians give more? Yes. Is the Church body being efficient with what’s been given already? No. 1% was given to support the ministerial duties at the temple. The Church is supplied with 2-3% of income from every financial sector, not just from agricultural increase.

Christian Ministries and Missionaries Thrive on Freewill Offerings

Aside from a small fraction, Christian ministries that operate beyond the local Church function receive support from freewill offerings. Most of these ministries perform Church functions such as spreading the gospel and supporting the needy. We may not see them in the traditional sense that they have preaching and worship every week, but just like any local church, they are ordained by God and the Holy Spirit, and are a part of the body of Christ.

Ma y missionaries are commissioned and actively supported through freewill offerings. Certainly, they are ministers who are part of the apostolic calling to spread the gospel and build the Church of God. Yet, they thrive on freewill offerings.

If we support different parts of the body of Christ through freewill offerings, why would specific functions within the body of Christ get separate treatment for funding? Whatever the Holy Spirit commissions, He supplies for. The Holy Spirit should not be compartmentalized in a way that excludes his influence on funding. Whoever he leads, He feeds.

If Christian ministries that serve God, preach the gospel, and serve the needy thrive on freewill offerings, why would we believe that a local body would dwindle without tithes? Hundreds of thousands of Spirit-led ministers reach millions of people throughout the world with freewill offerings.

The Holy Spirit Empowers the Church

The previous section is a great segway – We have the Holy Spirit. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

God gave the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:12-15

The Holy Spirit isn’t limited as a guide to our conscience helping us weigh the consequences of good and bad decisions. He is more powerful, detailed, and instructive than that. John 16:15 states that all that belongs to the Father is mine. This includes all the riches, influence, and power the father has. Why do we question the Holy Spirit’s ability to provide for his Church? The Holy Spirit supported Jesus ministry in this fashion and even guided Jesus in his decisions: Matthew 4:1, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14, and Luke 4:18.

If the Holy Spirit calls a missionary to forgo the comforts in his life to serve in the darkest parts of the world, isn’t the Holy Spirit powerful enough to instruct supporters?

The Levites Could Not Always Receive Tithes

The Bible states that the tithe was to support the Levites and their service, but depending on the land where the tithes were from, they did not always get the tithe. As Israel wandered the wilderness for years, the Levites did not collect tithing. God was clear in his instructions that the tithe was to come from crops harvested in the promised land and animals born there as well.

This means that while the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did not tithe. God only considered a tenth of the animals or crops within the promised land to be holy. Anything outside of the promised land was considered unholy. Read Deuteronomy 12:5-11

Israel did not tithe while in captivity in other nations either. Again, crops or animals that were raised or grown outside of Israel were unholy for the tithe. As Israelites found themselves under captivity in other nations, they had to rely on other offerings to support any type of ministry or Levitical service. Is it ok that we are tithing outside the promised land today? If the Levites did not have tithes for extended periods of time, then could the Church do the same?

The Levitical System Was Not Exclusively Funded by Tithes

The Israelites gave other types of offerings that supported the poor and the ministers. The dozens of other ways the Israelites gave included wave offerings (Exodus 29), heave offerings (Exodus 29), trespass offerings (Lev. 6:24-30), first fruit offerings (Exodus 23:19), burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:3-17), grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1-16), peace offerings (Leviticus 3:1-17), sin offerings (Leviticus 6:21-30), freewill offerings (Leviticus 7:16-18), and vows (Leviticus 22:21-23).

Not all of these offerings were consumed by the Levites. But If the Levitical system and operations was supported by offerings in the Old Testament, then why would we be concerned with the Church being supported without tithes in the New Testament?

Israel Gave Much of the Tithe for Alms and Feasts

The Bible describes three different tithes – A Levitical tithe, a festival tithe, and a poor tithe. The Levitical tithe went completely to the Levites (Numbers 18:21-26). The Festival tithe was shared among all Israelites (Deuteronomy 14:22-23). While the poor tithe was shared among the Levites and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

Let’s break this down into numbers. To keep this simple, since there were three tithes, let’s assume that each tithe equaled 33.3% (10 divided by 3) of the whole tithe. I am sure this oversimplifies, but it does prove the point that the Levites did not operate on 10%.

  • Levitical tithe = Levites received 33%. (The entire portion of 33.33%)
  • Festival tithe = Levites received 2.77%. (Levites were 1 of 12 tribes. So they received 1/12th of 33.33%).
  • Poor tithe = Levites received 16.66%. (Assuming the tithe was split evenly between Levites and the Poor, The Levites received half of 33.33%.)

Drumroll….If my math is correct, the Levites received 52.76% of the whole tithe (There is a high chance that I am not that smart, so please recheck the numbers). So, this means the Levites did not receive 10% Israel’s food increase, they received closer to 5%.

It’s a possibility that we could have calculated from 9% instead of 10% since 1% may have gone to the temple right off the top. If that’s the case, then the final number the Levites received would be more like 4%. This is not far off the 2-3% of giving statistics.

Freewill Offerings Funded the Temple

Much of the battle of funding a local Church is paying for the lease, operation, and maintenance of a church building. Many people do not realize the temple was built and maintained by other offerings other than tithes.

“And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:21-22)

“Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 3:13)

If Israel built and maintained the temple without tithing, why would the Church need tithing to fund building construction and maintenance? Since Churches today allocate tithing towards the operation and building of our worship centers, it’s no wonder why we think we are so dependent on it. Israel wasn’t, so why are we?

The Early Church Flourished with Freewill Offerings

Does the Church need tithing to grow? I think the early Church would beg to differ. The early Church did not practice tithing. First, if they were Jewish, they only knew how to give to the Levitical system, so ecclesiastical funding was a new concept to them. Second, the Gentiles were completely ignorant about how Israel’s support system functioned so their only familiar form of giving was freewill offerings

As we read in the book of Acts, the Church exploded within a few years. This growth did not happen because tithing was at an all-time high. The Church expanded for other reasons. Yes. They sacrificed much and shared equally with one another, but this type of giving is different than tithing.

The point is that the Church does not need tithing or any compulsive giving to grow. We do not need to institute a mandated minimum amount to even sustain our growth. Freewill giving was the basis of growth for the early Church and can sustain the Church for future generations.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Only the Tithes from Agriculture & Animals Supported the Levites

If Israelites did not raise animals or grow crops, they did not tithe off their increase. In other words, the Levites did not receive a tithe out of income from bankers, lawyers, tax collectors, blacksmiths, or carpenters. Contrast that with expectations today that assume all market sectors should tithe from their increase. Read more about why Israel could only tithe from food.

According to USDA.gov agriculture, food, and related industries amount to 5.5% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. Even if agriculture and food-related industries amounted to 50% of ancient Israel’s gross domestic product, it still means that a tithe was given from only 50% of the entire Israelite income.

This means that the Levites received only 5% of Israel’s entire increase of all incomes, and I think 5% is being generous. The standard in churches today is to expect a tithe from every income sector. Today, the church receives tithes from more market sectors than Israel did. It’s hard to determine what percentage of Israel’s GDP counted towards food, but one thing I know for a fact is that the amount of food it takes to feed one person today is the same amount it took thousands of years ago. Israel did not grow more food than necessary per person than we do today. If we’re being honest, we probably raised more food products per person in America today than Israel did, which would be more beneficial to the ministries today than compared to ancient Israel. Knowing that Levites survived without a tithe from everyone’s income, we should find it more plausible that the Church can survive without a tithe.

Tithes Funded Israel’s Government

Tithes were not used exclusively for ministry since Israel was a Theocracy. Many of the Levites held civil and leadership duties in Israel’s form of government. They had educational, judicial, and safety responsibilities. They taught children, guarded city gates, and acted as mediators of the law.

On the other hand, tithes focus explicitly on ministry today, while our taxes are used for duties such as education and judicial responsibilities. This means that 100% of the donations to Churches do not go towards the added responsibilities that the Levites had.

We should consider ourselves privileged that church donations can go towards 100% focus of Gospel outreach. We can even claim that much of the responsibility to care for the poor, educate children, and settle disputes has been taken away from the Church. Our burden to care for the poor has been reduced since many state programs already care for the poor and the needy today. This means that the Church has more donations to use for their discretion than Israel had. With a large reduction in responsibilities, why couldn’t church ministry function on offerings alone?

Many Local Churches Don’t Teach Tithing

This website provides a list of organizations and churches that do not teach tithing. You can also see a list of prominent pastors, authors, and theologians who do not teach tithing. Read quotes from C. S. Lewis, C. I. Scofield, Francis Chan, John MacArthur, and even Creflo Dollar.

Thousands of local churches around the world already do not collect tithes, so we don’t even have to guess what would happen without tithes. The worry about what would happen to the Church if we didn’t demand compulsive giving is living by fear, not faith.

Summary

Let’s analyze how much the Levites truly received from Israel

  • First, the Levites received 5% (my generous estimate) of Israel’s overall increase in income since they only collected food tithes.
  • Then, the bible states that 10% of that went to the Temple Storehouse for service. This leaves 4% of Israel’s overall increase in income for the Levites in the cities.
  • Finally, 52% remained after the poor tithe and feasts, leaving 2.08% of Israel’s overall income/increase for Levitical consumption outside of feasts.

Even if I was more generous with my estimates, the final percentage still would not come close to a ten-percent figure from Israel’s entire increase. At best, we could say the priests received 0.5-1% of Israel’s increase for temple service, while the Levites received 2-3% for general service. The irony is that giving statistics state Christians are giving 2.5% of their income. The percentage of Israel’s increase that the priests received is so low that we need to consider the serious possibility that the Levitical system was supported more abundantly through offerings than it had been through tithing. With that in mind, shouldn’t we consider that to be the case for the Church?

You Be the Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Can the Church Be Supported Without Tithes?

View Results

Loading ...

Did Jesus Collect Tithes?

by 1 Comment

The quick and short answer to the question if Jesus ever collected tithes is, “No”. Jesus did not collect tithes and there are several reasons why.

The Levitical Tribe of Israel Only Collected Tithes

“I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’” – Numbers 18:24

The Bible is clear in several passages that the tribe of Levi was to take and partake of the tithe including Deuteronomy 14:22-27, Deuteronomy 14:22-27, Deuteronomy 18:1-2, Nehemiah 10:37-39. Upon entering the promised land, every tribe in Israel was given a partition of the land in Israel except the tribe of Levi. God had given the tithe from the Israelite farming community to the Levites. The Levites stored 9% within the local city and then took the remaining 1% to the temple storehouse.

Jesus was from the tribe of Judah as indicated in Hebrews 7:14. “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.”

He was of the house of David and did not perform Levitical duties such as serving in the temple.

Jesus Collected Voluntary Offerings for His Ministry

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Luke 8:1-3

During Jesus’ three-year ministry as an adult, he lived off the voluntary offerings of his followers. The scripture clearly states that they helped him out of their own means.

Many of us are familiar with an infamous passage of Jesus feeding thousands of people from the gift of a boy with five loaves and two fish.

Jesus Told The Disciples to Collect Voluntary Offerings

Matthew 10:7-10 states, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.” (NIV)

His disciples were not to demand a wage. They were to live off the freely given charity from others. Scripture is clear that ministers deserve something and are worthy of his wages or keep as also indicated in Luke 10:5-8, but there is no minimum command.

As his disciples continued their ministry throughout the New Testament, there was no change in how they operated. They continued with freewill offerings. In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul even quotes Jesus’ words that the “worker deserves his wages”.

Jesus Said the King’s Children Are Free

One of my favorite passages in the bible regarding Jesus on generosity is found in Matthew 17:24-27.

“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”

You and I are children of the king. We are not subjects to take tribute from. The children are a part of the king’s family and mission and do not need taxes, tributes, benchmarks, mandates, or minimum offering amounts to advance their father’s kingdom. You can learn more here about Jesus’ words on tithing.

Jesus on Tithing

by 35 Comments

Many have dissected, outlined, and debated the words and actions surrounding Jesus on tithing over the centuries. This article will answer many of the common questions that people ask about Jesus and tithing.

What is Tithing?

First, let’s understand what tithing means. Many people equate tithing with giving in general. It is true that tithing falls under the general category of giving, but the bible digs a little deeper on the definition of tithing.

A tithe according to the Greek or Hebrew words in the bible is simply defined as a tenth. Although, the Bible details more rules around tithing such as giving only food and only to the Levites. We will dig into more details further in this article, but to start off, we will definine a tenth by the simple sense of God’s requirement to give 10% to him.

Did Jesus Talk About Tithing?

Yes. Jesus did talk about tithing. The New Testament scriptures lists three passages where Jesus specifically talked about it. Read below.

  • “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
  • “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42).
  • “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (Luke 18:12).

The passages in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 are parallel passages, meaning two different authors give their own unique accounts of that event in Jesus’ life on earth. In Luke 18:12, Jesus tells a parable commonly referred to as the Pharisee and the tax collector and was quotes the tax collector. These are the only bible passages that Jesus talked about tithing.

Did Jesus Teach the Tithe?

The short answer to this question is yes, Jesus did teach the tithe, but we need some context around this answer to find out to whom and why. We will resolve the answer to those questions further down in this article, but for now let’s address where, when, and how he taught the tithe.

God required the tithe for the Israelites under the Old Covenant law. He gave specific commands in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy surrounding the requirements of tithing. Although we know that tithing was inscribed in the law and given to the Israelites by God in the Old Testament, many want to know if Jesus specifically taught tithing in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

We can analyze the entire passages surrounding Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 to answer whether or not Jesus taught the tithe. In these two passages, Jesus addressed the Jews under the Old Covenant. He acknowledged that the Israelites were still under the Mosaic system as evidenced at the beginning of the passage in Matthew 23:2-3 when Jesus stated, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.”

Reading further down in the passage, Matthew 23:23 states, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

This is a clear teaching from Jesus to tithe. When he said, “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former,” he was saying they should have practiced justice, mercy, and faithfulness without neglecting the tithe. Although Jesus does teach the tithe, we must consider further context surrounding to whom and why. So, let’s read on.

Did Jesus Practice Tithing?

The Jews had to follow specific requirements and qualifications when they tithed. The most familiar passage surrounding these requirements can be found in Leviticus 27:30-32 which states “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord…Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord”

The important thing to remember in this passage when trying to know whether Jesus practiced tithing is if he met the prerequisites for doing so. There were only two basic groups of things that the Israelites could give to God. They were crops or animals. The answer to the question depends on whether Jesus had raised any animals or grew any crops to give a tithe from. Unfortunately, the bible is not explicit about those details, so we can only speculate.

We know that Jesus had at least two occupations; the first being a carpenter and the second being a rabbi or teacher. These occupations don’t deal with animals or crops, so even if Jesus practiced tithing, it did not come from his occupation. If he tithed, it likely came from a few small things that were grown on the side outside of his primary occupation.

Did Jesus Collect a Tithe?

We could answer this in two different ways. The first answer comes from the question of whether Jesus, as a part of God, collected tithes. This answer would be yes. God asked for a tithe from Israel, so if God and Jesus are one, then technically Jesus did collect tithes.

Although Jesus in his spiritual diety collected tithes, I don’t think this is why most people are asking the question. Most of us want to ask did Jesus collect tithes while he was in the flesh on earth. The second answer and the more relevant answer is no, Jesus did not collect tithes on earth.

Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, which is declared for us in Hebrews 7:14, “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah” Ironically, the whole chapter of Hebrews 7 is about how Jesus (metaphorically) received the tithe through the Melchizedek priesthood.

I don’t want to get deep in the woods with Hebrews 7 since it’s off-topic, but it can confuse some people. When you read it, keep in mind the context of who Hebrews was written to and why it was written. The book addressed Jews who could not let go of the law. It was not written to Gentiles who needed education about tithing.

Coming back to Jesus coming from the tribe of Judah. We need to look at the laws in the Old Covenant and ask ourselves if God placed any requirements about who could collect tithes. Numbers 18:24 clarifies who should collect tithes, “But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit.”

We are assured that Jesus did not collect tithes because the Levites were to collect tithes and he was from the tribe of Judah. It is true that he was God and could have demanded them – he deserved them. But Jesus also obeyed the Mosaic law just like the Jews did. He would not go against his own word. Jesus did not collect tithes because he was not a Levite.

In case you are wondering, Jesus supported his ministry on earth through other means. “Some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means” (Luke 8:2-3). Jesus had experience as a carpenter also, so maybe he supported himself in that way, but the bible never explicitly says so.

Did Jesus Abolish Tithing?

Some quote these words of Jesus often, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The answer to whether Jesus abolished tithing is no, he did not abolish tithing, but he did fulfill it.

The law that Jesus referred to can cause confusion. Some people use these words of Jesus to justify the continuity of some Old Testament standards or laws, but what laws did Jesus refer to? Some categorize it as the Mosaic law, some call it the ceremonial law, some say it’s the Old Covenant, some say it’s the Adamic covenant. The problem I have with using these classifications of the laws for this answer is that the categorizations are human-centered instead of gospel-centered.

In my own definition, Jesus refers to the laws that God placed to prepare us for the good news of Jesus. The classifications of laws may be good to understand, but I prefer to filter them around the purpose of Jesus, not around times, events, Adam, Abraham, or Moses.

Jesus was not talking about fulfilling spiritual laws such as love, faithfulness, mercy, etc. These spiritual laws are eternal and will never be abolished or fulfilled because as long as God exists, these natural laws of his character will exist.

If Jesus did not abolish tithing, then what does it mean that he fulfilled it? For this answer, we only need to keep reading in Matthew 5:18, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Did Jesus accomplish what he needed to? He came, he lived flawlessly, he died, he conquered death, and ascended to heaven. I’d say, yes he accomplished what he needed to and because of this, he fulfilled the laws put into place to prepare us for the Gospel. Did he destroy the law? No, but he discontinued it. I think Matthew 9:17 illustrates for us how a New Covenant and Old Covenant coexist. “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

We don’t need to destroy or abolish the old wineskins. It has a purpose to carry the old wine. We needed a new wine skin to carry our new wine. If the old wineskin is full, it has been fulfilled and Jesus accomplished that. We should no longer use it to gather more wine since it’s used to the fullest.

Conclusion

Some of us have poured wine out of the old wineskin into the new wineskin. Because of this two things occur. First, it doesn’t look like the old wineskin has been fulfilled since there is still room to fill more in. This creates feelings like we need to work for our salvation. Second, the new wine is spoiled and bitter from the old wine that is mixed with the new wine. This results in bitterness and confusion toward the good news of Jesus Christ.

No wonder many don’t want to turn to Christ for salvation. When we say that you need to do works such as tithing in order to find acceptance in God, we are mixing old and new wine creating a void that cannot be filled and adding bitterness that cannot be sweetened with our own works.

The Old Covenant had a purpose, but it is bitter. The gospel tastes sweet and fulfilling. Stop trying to quench the world’s thirst with our own wine. Give them the pure and sweet taste of Jesus.

Did Jesus Fulfill or Destroy Tithing?

by Leave a Comment

As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

When many inquire how authoritative the Mosaic laws are at governing the Church, a portion of Matthew 5:17 is invoked, which states that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. This seems to end the Law’s jurisdiction over the Church. Although, when it comes to the authority of tithing over the Church, many invoke a more complete version of Matthew 5:17, which states, that Jesus did not come to destroy but to fulfill the Law. Now a very simple interpretation becomes convoluted. So, let’s inquire about what it means for tithing when Jesus said he did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law – there’s no argument there. So let’s focus on what he did when he fulfilled the law. We have an article dedicated to defining what fulfill means. 

I don’t want to rehash everything that’s written in the article, but to use that illustration imagine you have two buckets that are both supposed to be filled with water. If one bucket was filled to the brim and the other bucket was empty, which bucket would you say had fulfilled its purpose? Which bucket would you say cannot be used anymore to gather more water? Would either bucket need to be destroyed for any reason? The answer is obvious.

All that Jesus was saying is that the old bucket is used up and can no longer be used to gather more water. The new bucket can be used and has replaced the old bucket. Jesus did not destroy anything. 

The Old Testament is still relevant to us. It offers glimpses of God’s promises and his truth. There are thousands of other reasons why Jesus did not destroy the Law. Fulfilling the Law can be like paying a doctor’s bill. You can pay a bill and fulfill the obligation for it, but that doesn’t mean the bill didn’t exist or the evidence of your medical treatment didn’t exist. The bill isn’t destroyed just because you paid it. Fulfilling the obligation doesn’t mean the obligation is continuously ongoing. 

The same is true for us. Fulfilling the law has nothing to do with confirming its practice in the church. If Jesus came to continue the law for us, we are going to be in trouble because we would be bringing back a lot more than tithing. 

The answer is yes, Jesus fulfilled tithing, but it doesn’t mean to continue. He completed its purpose for us, so we should not continue to fulfill tithing for ourselves. Let’s not cherry-pick verses in the bible to encourage the usage of certain Laws that we want to fit into the church. 

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Did Jesus Continue Tithing for us by Fulfilling the Law?

View Results

Loading ...

What Did Jesus Teach About Tithing?

by 99 Comments

As we continue our series ‘Tithing on Trial’, let’s evaluate another argument used to defend tithing. Many believe that Jesus taught tithing so it should be required for Christians. Let’s read through and examine scripture to answer the question – Did Jesus teach tithing for the Church?

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and says this, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Undoubtedly because these words come out of the mouth of Jesus, many believe this settles the tithing issue for them. But this assumption is made out of ignorance and the conclusion is not within scriptural context. If you read the whole chapter of Matthew 23 and research the other Old Testament commands that Jesus taught, we can reveal that the tithing issue is not settled by the words of Jesus.

If you were to understand what Jesus was talking about, who he was talking to, and under what circumstances in Matthew 23:23, then we need to start at the very begging on the passage and understand its context. shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus still taught aspects of the Law since the Bible records him observing the Passover in Matthew 26:17.

Matthew 23:1 begins by saying, “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe,[a] that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.“

At the beginning of Matthew 23, Jesus confirms that the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, and then commands the disciples to obey the Pharisees (which is surprising). The introduction in Matthew 23 reveals that Jesus upheld the Mosaic law, and still commanded it. One of the keys to remember in this passage is that we can learn from the teachings of Jesus, but it doesn’t mean Jesus’ address to the disciples and the Israelites is a personal plea for the New Testament Church. If you believe Church leaders sit in Moses’ seat and that we are to observe the Mosaic laws, then i can see why you believe that everything Jesus’ commanded back then should be commanded now.

In another example of Jesus teaching the law, we read Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Considering that this was near the end of Jesus’ life on earth and somewhat close to the birth of the Church, I am somewhat shocked that Jesus is still giving the Israelites instructions on how to worship on an altar.

Luke 5:14 is another passage of Jesus upholding the law when he commands a healed man to show himself to the priest. If you read more scripture, you will see that Jesus observed the Passover and attended the feasts prescribed in the Mosaic law. There was no question that Jesus obeyed the law, practiced the law, and taught the law. So, who is to say that Jesus was commanding the New Testament Church to tithe?

Let’s review Matthew 23:23 again where Jesus highlights how meticulous the Pharisees were tithing the small herbs in their crops, and then criticizes them for omitting justice, mercy, and faith. If you have an understanding of how tithing was practiced in the Mosaic law, you would know that the only items that could be tithed upon were crops and animals. This means that neither money nor goods were accepted for the tithe. What’s important to remember here is that Jesus did not ridicule them for their obedience to the specifics of the Mosaic law; he approved their obedience to the Law. So, if you believe Jesus commendation to tithe is applicable to us, then you must also believe that only the tithes of animals or from crops is applicable.

If you need some sort of litmus test to determine what laws in the old testament are commanded today and what laws are not, you could likely use the actions of the Pharisees as your test. We know the Pharisees excelled at keeping the Mosaic law but did not excel at obeying universal principles such as justice, mercy, and faith. So, you could abstain from any of the laws that the Pharisees were religious about without worrying if you are doing the wrong thing. In regards to tithing, please take note that the Pharisees excelled in this area.

In a final note, if Jesus’ words confirmed tithing for us, then it is confirmation that all the requirements and meticulous regulations that went with tithing should be continued as well. We can’t just take parts of Jesus’ words about tithing and cherry-pick the parts we wanted to obey. For instance, the Jews could only give from their crops or their animals. Yet, all the churches are ok with giving money, which was illegal to give as a tithe.

Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide; Did Jesus Teach Tithing for the Church – Guilty or not guilty?

YOU BE THE JUDGE

Did Jesus teach tithing for the church?

View Results

Loading ...

Tithing on Trial Series

by 5 Comments

I’m going to start writing a series of posts to address common arguments and questions used to promote tithing. These arguments have been listed on the 60+ tithing arguments debunked page, but it is not in a format where I can really go into detail. This series of posts are going to be called the “Tithing on Trial” series. As I hear arguments used to promote tithing in the Church, I will address them in this series. On the side menu, you can see a link under the categories for ‘Questions About Tithing’. If you click it in the future, you will see a comprehensive list of posts that address each and every argument to promote tithing.

Here are a few of the pro-tithing questions that are used to argue for the practice of tithing: